Corn Tortillas

Having corn tortillas on hand is a fantastic option for any meal or snack. They are a perfect meat, cheese, or veggie delivery system!

The question remains: Do you go to the trouble of making them at home, or do you opt for store bought? My answer … it depends.

If you do not have allergies, or have access to store bought ones that are both delicious and inexpensive … then I’d opt for store bought. But, if you have allergies, or good ones are expensive and hard to find … then homemade is the best bet.

Whether or not you have to make your own, once you do, store bought will definitely be a distant second on the delicious scale.

When I first made them, I was quite intimidated. But I quickly got over it because they really are simple to make.

Unlike flour tortillas, corn tortillas use masa harina. This is not corn flour. Masa harina is treated with lime before it is ground. I use Maseca Masa Harina and have been able to find it at my local grocery store.

Maseca Masa Harina

My biggest piece of advice is to give yourself extra time the first time you make them because the first time always take longer than you expect. By the time you make them a few times, it will go very quickly.

I made them a number of times before I invested in a tortilla press. Boy, did that make it easier. I recommend that you make them a few times before getting a press so that you will know if you are sold on making them at home.

If you are in the market for a press, do your research and find one that is very strong so it will last a long time. I opted for a cast iron one and am really happy with how sturdy it is.

If this is your first time making tortillas, don’t worry it will go fine. Just dive in and give it a go.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

If you have a press, you do not need to cut new plastic sheets for each batch of tortillas. I reuse mine until they are worn out. Then I cut out more.
To keep your tortilla press from sliding around your counter, place a tea towel under it.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a tortilla press. Just use a rolling pin. To keep the dough from sticking to the pin, place the dough between two sheets of plastic.

Video Tip

Pressing Out the Tortillas: I like to press my dough a few times with a lighter touch rather than one strong press. It just ends up more even and it is less strenuous. Watch the video to see how I do it.

GET MORE INFORMATION

Are you planning to make Tacos? Here is a spice blend.
What’s the difference between corn flour, corn starch, corn meal and Masa Harina?

Corn Tortilla Recipe

Print Recipe

Servings	Prep/Cook Time	Passive Time
6	40 minutes	15-30 minutes

Recipe Notes

This recipe makes about 12, 8 inch tortillas.
Homemade tortillas are best eaten fresh.
They can be made ahead and frozen. Be sure to place wax paper, or parchment paper in between each tortilla before freezing so they separate easily.
If you need to rewarm them, place them in a microwave safe container (uncovered) with a damp paper towel on the bottom. Place in microwave and set for 10 seconds at a time. Once warmed place back in warmer or wrapped in a tea
towel.

INGREDIENTS

272 grams (2 Cups) Masa Harina
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
250 millilitres (1 Cup) Warm Water

DIRECTIONS

Gather your ingredients.

Place Masa Harina in a bowl. Add salt and stir.

Add half of the arm water and mix well with your hands. Keep adding water until the dough is no longer crumbling but it is not sticky either. You may need more or less water, depending on you kitchen’s humidity level. Once done adding water, cover the dough in plastic and let it rest for 15 – 30 minutes. More time is fine as well.

While the dough is resting, cut out the plastic covering for your press. If you do not have a tortilla press, you can use a rolling pin. It is easiest to roll in between two pieces of plastic.

Use your tortilla press as a guide and mark out a circle on a large food bag. Cut it out with scissors. There is no need to grease the plastic.

After the dough is rested, form it into golf ball sized balls. Try to make them as even as possible. We use a scale and measure out 50 g portions. It is easier if you form all of your balls and then press them out.

Place one sheet of plastic on the bottom of the press. Put a dough ball onto the press and cover with the second piece of plastic. Press down on the ball lightly to flatten it a bit. Do not press too hard. If you want your tortilla thinner, rotate the tortilla 180 degrees and press again. Keep rotating the tortilla until you are happy with the thickness.

Once the tortilla is pressed, gently pull off the top plastic.

Pick up the tortilla with the bottom plastic and flip it over in your hand. Now gently pull off the plastic. If you want to press out all of the dough balls before beginning to cook, place them on a plate and be sure to separate each one with wax paper or paper towel. This will prevent them from sticking together.

Heat a dry pan slowly over Medium-low heat until it is very hot. This could take up to 10 minutes. If you heat the pan too quickly, the dough may stick to the pan.

Place a flattened tortilla in the pan. Cook for approximately 1 minute.

When the underside has browned edges or spots, flip it. Cook for another minute or so.

When the underside is browned, flip one more time. You will notice that the tortilla will puff slightly. Allow 20 seconds – 1 minute to brown the first side a bit more. When you remove the tortilla, it will feel quite hard. Don’t worry, it will soften.